We all know how expensive Disneyland is, which is why getting free parking is such a popular subject for so many visitors -particularly when the lot now cost $14. Fortunately, there are legitimate ways to do so.

First off, let me start by saying that if you’re a regular visitor, you should simply get the year pass and when you buy your year pass, pay the extra $80 for your pass to get parking included. It is completely worth the extra fee to never have to worry about the costs of parking ever again, plus the passes give you discounts at restaurants and shops.

If you only want to prepare for one trip though, consider eating the character breakfast at the PCH Grill at the Paradise Peir hotel. It is around $30 per person, but it’s all you can eat and because you get to interact with your favorite characters, it’s a great option for the kiddos (a picture from our trip can be seen to the left). When you park in the hotel’s lot, you get free parking for 5 hours with validation. When your five hours are almost up, go back to the car and head out to get a cheap lunch or take a break at your hotel.

Next, park in the Downtown Disney lot and just be sure to leave before your three free hours are up. You can take the monorail in and out of the park to this lot, which definitely helps speed up the time table. If you miss out on getting out of the park on time, they charge in twenty minute increments, so your parking fees can add up quickly. There is a chance that if you wait until very late at night, that the staff will leave the parking booths and you can leave the lot for free, but this is risky and if it fails, you will end up paying a whole lot.